Under the Same Sky
by crystalsnowtear
Summary: After the fall of Cocoon, many lives began anew.  He wasn't expecting to survive, but now that he has, what will he do with his new-found life?  Rated M for yaoi.  Cid x Rosch ; Yuj x Maqui
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story takes place after the fall of Cocoon, however since I don't know much about what FFXIII-2 is going to be like, I am not really going to include too much on Lightening. This is a yaoi / shounen-ai story, so if you don't like that sort of thing it's best not to read it ^^;

Pairings: Cid Raines x Yaag Rosch ; Yuj x Maqui

* * *

**Under the Same Sky**

It was a clear day on Gran Pulse and the weather was just starting to become cool and the evenings crisp and chilly. Yuj smiled as he stirred a huge batch of fragrant curry for the large number of orders coming into Lebreau's new restaurant, The NORA Cafe. She had created the restaurant shortly after the fall of Cocoon to create a place where soldiers and citizens alike could find respite as they created a new home. Lebreau wanted to make sure that there would always be a place where people could find good food and a place to relax, plus Team NORA could always use extra funding.

Yuj had been helping Lebreau for years as her waiter, but since her business was increasing from the sheer number of survivors of the fall, he became her back up chef. Yuj grinned as their new part time worker entered the restaurant.

"Mmm that smells great!," Hope exclaimed as he put down his backpack in the back room of the restaurant. "I'm surprised that you didn't burn it yet," he grinned as he put on an apron. "Hey! Don't mention that past mishap otherwise Lebreau will kill me for wasting food," Yuj grinned, " I just . . .get distracted sometimes you know?"

Hope smiled back at his friend, "Just be glad that she is still gathering ingredients, so if you burn another batch you have time to make a new one." Yuj pretended to be offended, but in reality, he really enjoyed spending time with the new waiter. It had been a few months since the fall of Cocoon and any sense of normalcy was good in Yuj's book. He still enjoyed adventures and going out hunting monsters, but since their new life began on Gran Pulse, it was good having some consistency in his life.

Hope smiled as he watched Yuj cook. He knew the blue haired boy would much rather be outside and having fun with his close friend Maqui, but instead he did the responsible thing and helped out Lebreau. Hope sighed contently to himself, ever since he found out his father was alive from the cavalry soldier, he had a new perspective on life. His goal is to make sure to enjoy the people around him while he had them because life could fade away in an instant. He decided to get a part time job at Lebreau's restaurant to help his father with income, and also because he felt that he needed to do something to help the community after all that happened.

Hope began to wipe down the tables and prepare the restaurant for the evening crowd and thought about his new life. Ever since he awoke from being a crystal and no longer a l'cie, he has been living a fairly normal life. Serah opened a temporary school in the area for children and teens alike to learn and Snow also helped in teaching kids survival techniques. Hope volunteered at the school, helping the younger kids while Serah privately tutored him after school to teach him what he missed out on when schools were still around. Hope loved learning new things and was thankful that he had a mentored that loved to teach.

Yuj noticed how thoughtful Hope looked as he was wiping down the tables and smiled. He reminisced about his life on Bodhum and how boring he thought it was, save for festivals. He stirred in some fresh coconut milk into his curry mixture and put it on a very low simmer to have it ready for when the customers arrived. Lebreau entered her restaurant and smiled, she was very surprised that the two boys seemed to not burn the place down, and actually managed to get everything ready for opening.

"Wow you guys did a great job! Okay Yuj, why don't you take the rest of the night off since you've been here the whole day; Hope and I can manage the place for now. Besides Gadot said he'd help me in the kitchen later," Lebreau smiled. "Oh and you don't think I know that he's just going to try to grope you while you are the one doing all of the cooking," Yuj replied with a huge grin. "You perv," Lebreau retorted, although she knew that Yuj was right. She would have to somehow get Gadot to actually work instead of play in the kitchen.

Hope blushed as he overheard their conversation, he knew that Gadot and Lebreau had been dating since the new restaurant opened, but he was not used to such open displays of affection. His parents had caring moments with each other, but his father had always been so distant that he never really thought about what couples acted like when together. Even Serah and Snow weren't so public about their affections for each other, although Hope believed it was because Serah worked with children and didn't want to scar them for life with Snow's banter.

"Alrighty, so I'm off," Yuj grinned as he cleaned up and took off his apron. He was thankful that the curry sauce didn't splatter much onto his apron, he hated getting his clothes dirty, and oddly enough he also hated getting his apron dirty even though that was the purpose of him wearing it. Yuj put a huge serving of curry into a to-go container and put it into a satchel. Hope and Lebreau said their goodbyes as Yuj waved on his way out. Yuj shivered from the temperature difference between the warm inside of the restaurant from all the food bubbling to the crisp Gran Pulse air. He loved that the air was refreshing and smelled very clean, but on a cool day like this he wished he had a big cup of hot chocolate to carry around to keep his fingers warm. He headed to the side of the "town" which was more like a huge camp that was still in the process of being built, to see Maqui. Maqui was always tinkering with new machines and trying to build various vehicles and devices to help with their new lives on Gran Pulse.

Maqui smiled warmly as he saw his friend coming toward him, "hi! Yuj, I finally made my final adjustments on that velocycle you wanted to fly." Yuj grinned broadly, "all right! Wow I knew you were an amazing engineer but this is a job that even the best technicians would be envious of." Maqui blushed at his friend, "awww come on now, you are just trying to make me get embarrassed. Anyway, go give it a try, I still have to finish a bunch of other things so I'll catch up with you later." Yuj loved how his friend was always so positive, cheerful, and a good sport. He ruffled Maqui's hair, "okay Mr. Chocobo hair, I'll see you later, maybe I'll even cook for ya." Maqui glared at the taller boy, "Hey! I don't look like a chocobo!" "Hmph. . .but I will take you up on dinner! So you gotta show up after I'm done with work here," he grinned. Yuj smiled and nodded as he hopped on his new velocycle and drove off.

Yuj sighed as he drove away, he knew that he shouldn't be lying to his friends, but he just didn't feel comfortable telling them about certain things. He drove to a clearing quite a ways from the town and landed. He rolled the vehicle it by a tree and headed over to a small tent. The tent was very basic and it had a fire lit in front of it. Yuj smiled briefly and said, "hey! Anybody home?"

A man hmph'd from inside the tent, pushed the entrance open, and emerged. The man had silvery blue hair shimmering lightly in the moonlight and his lavender eyes glowing from the fire. "I see you came to visit me today, for what reason do I have the honor?," Yaag Rosch asked the teal haired man. Yuj smiled and gave him the huge container of curry. Rosch quirked an eyebrow, but accepted the gift. He hadn't had a decently cooked meal for as long as he could remember and when he lifted the lid he felt his stomach rumble. "Thank you. . .would you care to join me?," Rosch asked hesitantly. Yuj sat next to the fire, "sure, for a bit anyway. I am going to try to meet up with a friend of mine later, but I'd love to spend some time with you."

He was very thankful to Yuj for all that he had done for him since the incident in Eden's hall. After Rosch had been injured by Lightening's group in his Proudclad, he had called off his troops and placed his beliefs in the l'cie. He accepted his demise as he saw two humbaba appear and pressed his ship's self-destruct button, waiting for the 10 second delay for it to explode, when Yuj had swooped down on his hovercraft and saved Rosch's life. Rosch was at first surprised and then angered by the blue-haired man because he was supposed to be saving civilians, not the military. Yuj only smiled at him and said he would save anyone that he could, civilian or not. Rosch then lost consciousness until after the fall of Cocoon.

After Cocoon fell, Rosch was still severely injured and stayed in a small tent that was away from the feral monsters of the vast land, and Yuj visited him when he could. Rosch did not want Yuj telling others of his survival until he was fully healed so he could help with the remaining PSICOM soldiers and help create a safe society. Rosch had never made many friends; being a man of the military he really had no need. His goal was to create tactics that would bring safety to Cocoon and his soldiers were just that, soldiers—not his friends. He never was close to anyone, so when Yuj tried to befriend him, at first he was hesitant and didn't quite know how to react.

Yuj served up the warmly spiced curry, "this fire is so nice and warm, geez it's been so cold lately! I made a new outfit with fabrics that I salvaged from Eden and local materials, but I can't even wear it since it's freezing!" Yuj chuckled and went on talking about fashion and acted as though Rosch had been his friend for years. Rosch listened while savoring the delicious curry, enjoying the balanced spices and tender meat and vegetables. He enjoyed listening to Yuj even though he knew nothing at all about fashion, all he knew about were uniforms. "I never knew that contrasting colors were so. . .important," Rosch commented. Yuj smiled, "haha I can talk forever about why contrasting colors is great for complimenting a person's shape and how it's great for expressing your own personal style. I guess even with all that happened, I can't give up my passion of fashion."

Rosch sipped at his water, "well. . .without passion, there is no meaning to existence." Yuj looked back at his new friend, "so does that mean you have a passion?" Rosch looked at his cup, "of course; the safety of the citizens." Yuj sighed, "yeah I am not disagreeing, I mean I'm passionate about Team NORA and keeping people safe too! But. . .I mean what about personal passions, like things that excite you beyond your job?" Rosch stared at Yuj blankly, "that. . .it's my only passion, I've never focused on anything else. The military is my life. As soon as I regain enough strength, I plan to get right back into my work." Rosch was hesitant to answer, he never really opened up to anyone before, and even though it wasn't much information he revealed, it was a lot more than he ever had.

Yuj finished his serving and put his hand on Rosch's shoulder, "well. . .think of the move to Gran Pulse as a new chance on life. You know, you might find something to be passionate about. And hey! Maybe you'll find a sexy girlfriend or boyfriend and then you'll definitely have some other passions, haha and getting laid wouldn't be a bad thing either." Rosch looked at Yuj blankly, he had never been in a serious relationship since work came first, and he couldn't even remember the last time he had felt the warmth of another. Yuj chuckled, "I guess that's not something you want to talk about, eh? Well I better head back. . .I need to thank Maqui for making me my own velocycle. Plus. . .," he blushed, "I think he's just plain adorable and I'm seriously hoping he'll catch on to my flirting one of these days."

Rosch cleaned the container that Yuj brought and returned it to him. He smirked, "well then, let's hope that your flirting is as good as your cooking. If that's the case I'm sure that he'll eventually look your way." Yuj smiled slightly surprised that Rosch would give him such a compliment, "thank you. I really appreciate it." Yuj smiled genuinely at Rosch and got up to leave, "Alright, I'll see you sometime soon! I hope you feel better, I'll bring you a new batch of potions when I can."

Rosch walked Yuj to his velocycle and said, "I am thankful that you are willing to sacrifice your time for my well-being." Yuj nudged Rosch playfully, "the next time you say that spending time with you and helping you out is a sacrifice, I'm gonna take that sword of yours and knock you on the head with it!" Rosch blinked a few times surprised since no one ever talked to him so casually and nodded with a smile on his face. Yuj grinned and waved casually as he headed back to spend the evening with Maqui, and hopefully convince him to go out on a date with him.

After Yuj left, Rosch warmed himself by the fire and re-wrapped his wounds. While he was much better from taking time to heal, the broken bones in his body were still mending and he had difficulty moving. He relaxed looking at the starry night sky. The evening was so clear that he could see millions of stars glistening and then it was the first time in his life that he felt so small and so alone.

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TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Maqui just finished tuning up a hovercraft when Yuj arrived. Yuj wanted to sneak up on the boy, but Maqui could hear even the quiet rumble of the velocycle a mile away. Maqui waved up at Yuj with a wide grin and his clear blue eyes glistened with excitement. Yuj never fully understood how happy and excited Maqui was each day no matter what happened. Even when Maqui was frustrated and tired, he'd laugh it off and face each challenge with a smile and positive attitude.

"Hey Yuj! Great timing, I just finished up so we can go out to dinner!," Maqui stated as he wiped his hands clean from the grease due to the day's work. Yuj chuckled, "well you are going to have to clean up better than that, I mean, you are completely covered in oil and grime, and you are far too cute to walk around with smudges on your face."

Maqui stuck his tongue out at Yuj playfully, "oh yeah? What if I gave you a biiiiiiig hug right now and got you all dirty too?" Yuj ducked and ran as Maqui chased him, "don't you dare! You are gonna have to buy me a whole new wardrobe if you even ruin one piece since all my outfits are coordinated!" Maqui pouted, "hey! That's not fair, your taste in outfits costs way too much for me to even get you a new shirt, not that I would ever be able to pick out something you like. You are so picky. . .but that's one reason why you always look good." Maqui's eyes widened when he realized he just said that Yuj looked good. He always thought the teal haired boy was the sexiest guy he ever met in his life; he loved his rich decadent golden amber eyes and how they offset his vibrant teal hair. The way his hair and eyes offset each other already made the man look amazing, and then his taste in outfits just pushed his degree of sexiness over the edge. He knew how much Yuj loved to shop for new outfits and accessories, and he loved that Yuj had something he was so passionate about. He related Yuj's love of fashion to his love of mechanics and tinkering with machines. He would never actually ruin anything of Yuj's since he would be extremely upset if someone sabotaged one of his prized machines or robots.

Maqui thought to himself that other members of team NORA would probably laugh at him if they knew what he thought about Yuj, let alone that he could actually view someone else in a romantic way. The team always viewed him as the child of the group even though he was practically the same age as Serah and they were best friends. If Serah was old enough to marry Snow, then why was he treated like a baby? Maqui continued to playfully chase him but then looked down and noticed the way Yuj's outfit highlighted his beautiful shape and how the pants cupped his ass so perfectly, it just made Maqui melt.

Maqui shook his head and smiled up at Yuj and stopped chasing him, "okay okay, you win, I don't wanna miss out on some good grub so I'll go wash up." Yuj fought the urge to tell Maqui that he would be more than willing to help him, since he figured that would be much more forward than anything Maqui would agree to. If anything, Yuj thought that Maqui would just view it as something completely platonic, something a close friend or sibling would do. While Yuj wanted for flirt with Maqui outright, he was hesitant since he and Maqui grew up together. Team NORA was created by a group of orphans who viewed each other as family. While Yuj was adamant about dating Maqui, he was scared to push him away by changing their relationship from a familial one to a romantic one.

Maqui ran back into the make-shift shop he created for repairs and took off all of his dirty work clothes. He jumped into the shower he created and shivered when the cold water doused over him. He smacked the side of the mechanism causing the water heater he created to kick in. He relished in the temperature change since it was a freezing evening and the last thing he needed was an icy shower. The steam from the water warmed up the whole shop and Yuj chuckled as the steam created a huge sauna-like effect over the shop. Yuj mused that it would be good for his complexion.

Maqui rushed out of the shower after he cleansed himself and quickly got dressed in his snowboarder style outfit. He was very thankful that his own sense of style worked wonderfully for the temperature of Gran Pulse. He paused for a moment as he got dressed. He never thought about his own sense of style before and chuckled as he noticed that Yuj was definitely rubbing off on him. Maqui finished getting dressed and dried his hair under his heater invention. While the force of air was much too strong for a heater, it worked wonderfully as a hair dryer. Maqui was proud of that invention and used it whenever he had the chance. It was great for him since he never styled his hair; he just fluffed it up and stuck his goggles over his head to prevent it from sticking up entirely. He planned to create a newer version of it with an attachment as a gift for Yuj so that he could use it to style and blow out his hair.

Maqui loved trying to make various inventions for Yuj, not just any inventions, but ones that he thought Yuj would really get some use out of and appreciate. It was his way of telling Yuj that he really liked him and in a small way, it was his way of hinting at Yuj that he knew him better than he might think.

While Maqui was in the shower and getting ready, Yuj called Hope at Café Nora. "Hey Hope? I'm gonna swing by with Maqui, do you think we can save a table on the side with the view of the lake? And maybe also add some nice flowers in a vase on the table? You know, make it romantic," Yuj stated as he paced back and forth to try to keep warm. "Huh? But didn't you already take a curry dinner to Maqui? You guys must be super hungry in that case. Of course I can set it up for you. I. . .I'm not sure how to make it romantic but I can try. I didn't know that you and Maqui were. . .," Hope trailed off.

Yuj chuckled, "well we aren't yet, but I am going to try my best to show him how I feel about him. I just gotta do it in a way that won't make him run off to live with the Pulse Chocobos." Hope laughed on the other line, "well I'm sure you won't scare him off, he likes you too much. I mean you guys are best friends right? So even if you want to date him, my bet is that even if he isn't interested, he'd still like you." "Since when did you get so insightful in relationships? I'm teaching you well I see," Yuj grinned to the phone.

Hope chuckled, "It's more because Gadot and Lebreau have been flirting non-stop since he got here, plus when they argue, Gadot always has to grovel until she forgives him, but I'll let you think you have the credit." Yuj laughed and then heard noise coming from the store, "very very funny, anyway I gotta run, we'll be there soon." Yuj hung up quickly and casually relaxed against the velocycle.

Yuj grinned when Maqui made his way out of the "storefront" and rolled the velocycle over. "I know you probably prefer riding a chocobo, but how about a ride on your newest project with me?," Yuj asked as he sat on the cycle. "You know what's funny? I keep making these things but I have yet to drive one! At least this time I get you as a driver, man, when Gadot drives he makes me feel like we are gonna crash any minute," Maqui chuckled. "In that case, how about you drive us back? You know these machines better than anybody. Anyway hop on and let's get going, I bet you are starving," Yuj said with a smile. Maqui nodded and climbed up on the velocycle behind Yuj and gulped. He was so close to Yuj and his heart fluttered. He didn't want to feel so childish like a little school girl when he sat behind him, but he couldn't help but feel excited and exhilarated that he would get to be so close to the man in front of him. He slid his arms around Yuj's waist and pulled his body close to him so he would have a good grip after they took off.

Yuj felt a warmth surge through his body as Maqui's warm arms wrapped around his waist. While the weather was cold, Maqui was so warm after that hot shower and his fluffy snow gear added to the cozy feeling. Yuj couldn't resist his urge and placed his hand over Maqui's, "you are so warm, Maqui. . .I just want to hold you all night long." Maqui flushed and squeezed him harder in embarrassment, "hey, I'm not a teddy bear! Come on already, I'm hungry!" Maqui didn't know what else to say because he knew that if he had his choice, he wanted to hold Yuj as long as he could, but he just wasn't ready to tell Yuj about his feelings quite yet. Yuj nodded, "you're right you are not a teddy bear, you are a chocobo!" Maqui wiggled, pouted and bantered back at him playfully. Yuj grinned and turned on his velocycle and drove off to Café NORA, excited about their date.

* * *

Rosch awoke the next morning with pain coursing throughout his body. He was frustrated with himself for taking so long to recover, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it except for rest. He wondered if what he was doing was the best course of action. He could just return to the people of Cocoon and work from his bedside if he had to, but instead he kept himself secluded. Rosch had always prided himself in his military strength, and his loss and poor judgment in the past was a huge blow to his ego.

As much as he hated to admit it, Rosch knew one reason why he didn't return to the town was because he lacked the same drive he had before. He felt moments of pain and weakness before, but his drive and adrenaline and beliefs that he was doing the right thing always pushed him forward. But now, while Rosch still wanted to help the citizens and help create a new order for Gran Pulse, the combination of mixed emotions along with physical weakness made it difficult for him to move forward. He needed to get better and become stronger. Only then could he help the people. He knew he was the people's servant, not the other way around, and if he were to be able to serve them well, he needed to be strong and confident. But, for the first time in his life, he felt neither.

This was a time of many firsts for Yaag Rosch. Rosch had always been an extremely busy man, with little time to think or dwell on things. He was used to split-second decision-making and always being on the move. He never just sat down with his own thoughts or taking time to contemplate about his choices or his life.

Rosch sighed to himself; he really appreciated Yuj's help. When left alone too long, Rosch knew himself well enough to know that he would begin to feel agitated when he thought about what he could be doing, but wasn't. Yuj was the one who would then come by and remind him that it's okay to take care of himself. That it was important to heal and find his own reason for living.

Rosch shook himself from his thoughts and headed to a hot spring that was located near his camp, with the hopes of soothing his aching body. Rosch striped slowly and folded each piece of his uniform, showing his uniform the respect he wished he could give to all of his fallen comrades. He shivered as the cool air hit his flesh, he enjoyed he feeling of the cool air since he was so used to the climate control provided by the Fal'cie of Cocoon. He slid into the warm spring water, feeling his muscles relax from the pleasurable sensation.

Rosch closed his eyes and let his ponytail out as he bathed and cleansed himself. He relished in the warmth and felt like he was in his own sanctuary. A place where he could finally come in touch with his feelings and emotions of what had transpired in the past, and once he could come to terms with himself, he could move on and perhaps create more room in his life for what Yuj called "personal passions." He still had no idea where to start, but he figured if anything, his newfound friend gave him time to think about it. Without Yuj, his time would have been gone and he would have faded into the afterlife.

Rosch breathed in deeply enjoying the fragrance of nature. The world felt so clean and fresh, so different than the world of Cocoon. Rosch slid his fingers over the scar on his forehead subconsciously and closed his eyes again to just enjoy the moment. It was then that he heard footsteps heading towards him. His eyes snapped open and looked at the figure in front of him.

* * *

TBC

A/N: Let me know what you guys think so far ^_^ Although it's the next day, there will still be information about how Maqui and Yuj's "date" went. XD


	3. Chapter 3

"You do realize that I will have to kill you for appearing out of nowhere and disturbing my bath," Rosch shot a glare at the teal haired man. "Oh no, I'm going to die from a wet Rosch!," Yuj mused and began to feign choking to death. "I can't believe you made a joke! There's a first time for everything," Yuj chuckled, "You actually look pretty sexy when you are all wet."

Rosch continued glowering at him and thought about the fact that he wasn't entirely joking and sighed to himself. He was startled and he hated the feeling of vulnerability, and being caught while relaxing and bathing with his guard down was one of the worst case scenarios in his mind.

"Well since you are here, perhaps you can pass me a towel so I can get out of this water. As comforting as it is, I prefer to bathe without an audience," Rosch grumbled. Yuj passed him the towel that was set on a rock and sighed playfully, "it's too bad that I get to see you naked before Maqui."

Rosch sent him a death-glare, a glare even more vicious than the last, then rubbed his temples and grabbed the towel. Trying to change the subject he asked, "how about you tell me about how your date went then."

Rosch did not really care to know, but he figured since it was the first thing in the morning, Yuj probably didn't talk about it to anyone yet, and he would do just about anything at this point to get the boy to focus on something other than his body.

Yuj blushed faintly, "actually it went rather well. . . the whole date went smoothly, but it wasn't really romantic or anything. But I did kiss him at the end of it." Yuj reflected on the night before and described his date to Rosch.

* * *

_When they arrived at the restaurant Maqui and Yuj were quickly greeted by Hope, who took them to one of the nicest tables in the restaurant. Gadot had quirked an eyebrow at Yuj and looked at Maqui and said, "hey, I thought you liked the kiddie table with all the color pencils and stuff, shortie." Maqui pouted and stuck his tongue out at Gadot, "Awww come on, I'm not that short! I'm almost as tall as your girlfriend you know," Maqui fluffed up his hair to make him look even a millimeter taller. _

_Yuj chuckled and said, "don't worry Maqui you are the perfect height for fitting under vehicles and other machines since someone as big as Gadot can't fit under there." Maqui grinned, "Damn right! I. . .hey! Are you saying that I'm small?" Maqui gave him a wide-eyed look and shook his head in agreement, "well you know, good things come in small packages." "Right, Hope? You agree with me don't you?," Maqui grinned. Hope shook his head, "yeah you could say that, but at least I'm still growing. Anyway, what would you guys like to order?" _

_Maqui and Yuj both ordered seafood dishes, since that's what they grew up on in Bodhum. The fish were plentiful, although nowhere near as tasty as the ones that were caught in Gran Pulse. Yuj and Maqui spent the evening laughing and teasing each other and once in a while joking about Lebreau and Gadot's interactions with each other. _

_After they finished eating the two boys headed outside with two cups of rich, dark hot chocolate and looked up at the night sky. Maqui tilted his head, "Hey Yuj? How did we get such a nice table anyway? There were even flowers on it. Usually we eat in the utility room in the back so this was a bit of a surprise." Yuj looked up at the sky, "well I figured, I haven't really been on a date, and I know you haven't either, so why not have our first one together." Yuj fidgeted. He was normally fairly confident, but he felt rather nervous about revealing to Maqui that he viewed their get together as a date._

_Maqui's jaw dropped, "eh? That was a date?" Maqui flushed and his whole face turned red, "he. . .hey. Why didn't you tell me sooner! I didn't even dress up or anything! I uh. . .wasn't I supposed to pull out your seat or something. Awww man I really messed up the first date thing." Maqui dramatically flopped on the floor without spilling his cocoa. _

_Yuj laughed, "we both had a good time right? That's all that matters; I just wanted to enjoy a nice dinner with you." Maqui rolled a bit and hopped up, "yeah, it was super yummy! The next time you want a date, just say 'it's a date!' or something like that. That way I can try to do something special for you too!" Yuj's eyes glimmered slightly in the moonlight, did Maqui just say that he was fine having future dates? "In that case, let's have a date tomorrow night. A real date."_

_Maqui grinned broadly, "alright! I'll meet you at the café after you are done with work." Yuj smiled and finished his cup of cocoa, feeling the little marshmallow melt on his tongue. He looked at the pale, clear blue eyes in front of him and impulsively pulled Maqui close and pressed his lips against his. His tongue slid against his lips as Maqui gasped from surprise. _

_Maqui closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Yuj and melted into the kiss. Yuj relished in the warm feeling of his body being embraced by the warm, cozy arms of the one he hoped would be his boyfriend. Maqui pressed his tongue back against Yuj's gently and panted slightly into his mouth as Yuj gained entrance into his warm, chocolatey mouth. Maqui's tongue danced against Yuj's and he pulled Yuj even closer to himself. As Yuj began to pull away, Maqui traced his tongue against his soft lips. Maqui felt his body temperature rise and licked Yuj's chocolatey sweet lips again and nibbled his bottom lip slightly before pulling away feeling light headed and excited. _

_Yuj's cheeks were just as red as Maqui's and he felt his heart skip a beat as Maqui so willingly and passionately kissed him back. "Yeah. . .come meet me after work," Yuj finally replied with his golden eyes slightly lidded from the incredible sensations he just experienced. Maqui nodded and gave Yuj a big hug, "alright! I will be there so make sure to be off on time! I'll see you later!" Maqui ran off after that and Yuj was left standing in front of Café NORA in a stupor._

_

* * *

_

Yuj sighed and looked at Rosch, "not that I kiss people very often but, wow Maqui is an amazing kisser. He is so passionate and cute, and sweet like chocolate and honey. Yuj continued on, describing Maqui as the cutest and sexiest person he had ever met.

As Yuj went off chattering away, Rosch quickly dried himself off, got dressed, and pulled his hair back into his signature hair style. "So basically, I take it that you are completely smitten," Rosch stated in a matter-of-fact manner. Yuj grinned, "I can't wait for our date tonight! I hope we can pick up where our kiss left off."

Rosch sighed to himself, by the sound of the date, it was just puppy love. Something that either wouldn't last or it would wear off quickly. Rosch wasn't a romantic in any sense, and he didn't understand how one kiss could be so passionate and exhilarating to the point of Yuj swooning the entire morning after.

It's not that Rosch had anything against romantic relationships, but he did not see the importance of them. They were not productive for the society in his mind, except of course relationships that lead to children to continue on the civilization. Rosch thought about the fact that his first reaction to the concept of relationships was a practical one. He sighed to himself and wondered for a very brief moment if that was why he was feeling lonely as of late. While Rosch was readying himself for the changes in his new life, he still firmly believed that romance wouldn't be part of it.

"Although I'm glad to hear your date went well, why did you come here this morning?," Rosch asked trying to get off the subject of relationships.

"Oh that's right," Yuj reached into his rucksack and pulled out a bag of hi-potions and a few elixirs. "I brought you some medical supplies. I picked some up this morning right when they opened so they didn't run out of the day's rations yet." Rosch felt all of his irritation about Yuj startling him in the bath earlier dissipate.

"Thank you. I appreciate your help, although I hope they had enough there for the civilians who need these potions more than I do," Rosch stated clearly believing the needs of his people came before his own. Yuj chuckled, "don't worry about that, they organized it so that each person has their own set of rations. The people who come earlier in the morning can purchase extra potions and such in addition to their quota. So everyone will get what they need, it's just that I was able to buy extra."

Rosch nodded in agreement, content with his answer. "As long as they have what they need, I won't argue." Yuj nodded back and looked at his velocycle, "well I better head off. Snow asked me to check out another set of ruins before going to work today. I can't believe how many places there are to explore here, it's just crazy. His friend Sazh has been flying ships to some of the air-accessible only areas too. When you get better you should explore a bit before returning to the military, that way you can get the lay of the land."

Rosch looked at Yuj thoughtfully, "so from what you have told me, I assume that the reconnaissance teams aren't able to collect enough information about the ruins near the settlement, let alone further out." Yuj nodded, "that's just how large this place is. We haven't even scratched the surface."

Rosch was about to respond when he heard a voice yell. "Hey Yuj! Where are you?" Maqui came running over to the two men with a huge grin, "I heard you were gonna go exploring so I wanted to join you before I got to work too!" Maqui continued to run and then tripped on a rock. "Whoa! Ouch, that hurt, hahaha," Maqui laughed embarrassed by his tripping. He looked up and smiled at Yuj, then noticed the man behind him. "Oh. . .hey. . .I know you. I think? I think I recall seeing you at Lebreau's restaurant in Bodhum when PSICOM came to town," Maqui tried to remember where he had seen the silvery blue haired man. Yuj looked at Rosch feeling guilty about the fact that Maqui must have followed him to his camp.

Rosch nodded to Maqui, "Yes I recall stopping at the local restaurant. The guardian corps officer, Amodar, who was stationed at Bodhum had wonderful things to say about her restaurant." Maqui grinned as he dusted himself off, "I take it you liked the food? Super yummy huh! So I guess you work for PSICOM? Well from all the changes I guess all of the military kinda combined a bit. PSICOM, guardian corps, and the cavalry all joined together, but I guess you know that already since you are part of it. Anyway, are you gonna join us in exploring the ruins? It's gonna be a lot of fun!" Maqui talked a mile a minute and chuckled in between words.

Rosch shook his head, as much as he wanted to go exploring, he was still injured and he did not want to be a liability. He also thought that perhaps the two boys would want some alone time since they were beginning a romance, and he did not want to be the third wheel. "I think it's better if I stay here, I am not quite well. I would not want to hold you back," Rosch stated firmly.

Maqui nodded in understanding, "aww in that case get all better then the three of us can go exploring tons of places!" Yuj smiled looking at his boyfriend, "yes we will try to do that but right now we better head off otherwise we'll never get to work."

Maqui sweatdropped, "whoops, you're right." Okay let's head off! Come on Yuj!" Maqui took Yuj's hand in his, causing the teal-haired boy to blush. Yuj pulled Maqui close to him with his hand and kissed him softly before pulling him onto his velocycle. Maqui quieted down and looked at Yuj with his eyes glazed over and his cheeks a pale pink. He hopped on the velocycle behind Yuj and cuddled against him as they took off. Yuj waved to Rosch and headed over to the ruins.

* * *

Rosch quirked an eyebrow, never had he seen someone go so quiet from a mere kiss. He never felt that connection or that sort of reaction to a kiss before. 'Perhaps that's why I never became serious about anyone,' Rosch pondered and shook his head; he knew full well that he would never fall subject to puppy love and that this train of thought would not take him anywhere.

He decided to finish getting dressed and put his masamune in its sheath. He knew he was injured but still wanted to gain better understanding of his surroundings. After hearing about the vast lands around him from Yuj, he had been feeling rather antsy about being unable to at least explore. He needed to have a solid grasp of what was around him if he was not to go crazy. He packed up his potions and elixirs and took two pocket grenades for good measure. He knew that there must have been some validity to what he had learned about Pulse on Cocoon. While the Fal'cie were trying to control them, there was no doubt in Rosch's mind that the world of Gran Pulse was not without danger.

He decided to begin searching the perimeter of his camp. He saw many beautiful trees, lush grasslands, and deadly looking flowers. It truly looked like a place that was untouched, a land that was filled with feral creatures that fought for survival rather than because they were being used by the Sanctum. He continued to look and wandered out further. He navigated his route specifically; each time he completed a route he gauged his perimeter, and headed further outwards in a spiral pattern.

"Hmm. . .interesting," Rosch mumbled out loud as he found each new creature and terrain fascinating. He gathered as much intel as possible as he wanted to report all the data he could find to the military. He was hoping to return to the military within a week, as he was missing the work and responsibilities he had been so passionate about. He was hoping that returning to work would renew his drive and bring him back into a familiar reality.

Rosch sat down in a shaded area where there were no monsters in sight and rest. He was exhausted even though he avoided battles since the monsters seemed to be keeping to themselves as long as they didn't notice him. He took in a deep breath of air and took a moment to relish in the nature around him.

"It's good to see you survived, it seems like many things have changed over the last few months, so I'd like to catch up with you if I may," a voice said from behind him.

Rosch knew that voice, "I have quite a few questions for you as well, General Raines."

* * *

TBC

A/N: Ooh I am awful! Leaving it off at a part like this *evil cackle*


	4. Chapter 4

Cid Raines sat down next to Rosch in the shade calmly. He looked around at the surroundings since Rosch had seemed so attuned to the nature around them before he had interrupted him. Cid wondered what was so fascinating, but wasn't sure what had Rosch so entranced.

"Would you prefer I call you Lieutenant General Rosch, just Rosch, or what about Yaag?," Cid asked calmly. He continued, "you may call me Cid, as I am no longer a Brigadier General and calling me Raines seems far less personal."

Rosch narrowed his eyes slightly, "less personal? I have always called you General Raines, and if you prefer me to drop the 'General,' I will do so. But to call you Cid instead of Raines because you feel it is more personal seems rather forward and unprofessional at best."

Cid chuckled, "why all the formality? We have known each other for ages and you are saying we are unable to be on a first name basis? That seems like more of an oddity than me being unprofessional or forward."

Rosch sighed, "then you may call me whatever you wish, and I will continue to call you Raines. In any case this is the last thing we should be discussing. I had heard from a friend that you supposedly had perished before Cocoon fell. . .and here you are. How is that so?" Rosch wondered where Yuj had gotten that information since it was inaccurate as Cid was sitting next to him, obviously alive.

"What a way to spoil the mood. I'll be calling you Yaag since I figure if I start on a first name basis with you, you will eventually follow suit. As for how I survived. . .you'd be surprised how even suicide can't even save a man from a Fal'cie," Cid drifted off looking solemn and his eyes hooded with a kind of distress from a memory he did not want to face.

Rosch cleared his throat trying to pull Cid out of his rumination, "It matters not, I suppose. You are here now and that fact won't change whether I know the details or none at all. . .but if you do ever change your mind and want to talk about it, I will listen." Rosch had practice in listening to other's circumstances thanks to Yuj, and since he had known Cid since his school days, he figured it wouldn't hurt to listen to him if he needed to talk.

Cid looked at Rosch thoughtfully and wondered what in Rosch had changed. He knew him as a director of PSICOM, someone who always knew what he wanted and what his next course of action would be. He never seemed like the sort to want to sit down and have a heart-to-heart conversation, but there was something about his presence that made Cid feel at ease. "I appreciate the offer, Yaag. Perhaps I will open up about those things later," Cid turned to face Rosch, "I am sure you are relieved that even though Cocoon fell, a good two-thirds of the population survived. That's still better than what would have happened if the Fal'cie got his way and sacrificed everyone."

Rosch felt his body tense at the thought of the Fal'cie, Barthandelus, the one who created a faulty belief system and nurtured fear into the populace. Rosch knew placing his faith in the Fal'cie's farce was not forgivable, even if it was the only option at the time in his opinion. With the way that the population feared Pulse and how they put all their faith in the Sanctum, all he could do was what the people wanted. Rosch breathed in deeply to try to calm himself from the tension.

Cid noticed Rosch tensing and broke the silence, "well isn't Gran Pulse beautiful? The sky is so blue, the water is so clear, and everything feels natural and fresh here. I am not sure what you were looking at when I interrupted you, but from what I can see, you also seem to appreciate the organic beauty of this place." Cid always thought Rosch was the tense sort, someone who was easily roused and quick to react in the military, but seeing him trying to calm himself made him wonder just when had the man become so attuned to his feelings and nature.

Rosch nodded slowly, "I think this is a place where a man can lose or find himself." Cid chuckled, "well I think we should focus on the finding ourselves aspect, shall we? After all. . .our lives have changed completely since the fall of Cocoon; I can see that you are injured, so it is unlikely you can return to the military quite yet. And I'm also recovering from some injuries from some recent battles, so I haven't been ready to return quite yet either. I wonder how the military is doing. . .considering their commanders are out of commission at the moment."

Rosch nodded, "I have been told that all of the sects of military have combined to work together. Currently the rations are being delegated properly and they are working on reconnaissance and collecting data on the local area. The town itself is currently more like a large camp, but they are slowly bringing down various resources from Cocoon via airship. I. . .know someone who could update you with specifics as he has been giving me information since the fall." Rosch wondered why Cid had been injured from 'recent' battles but refrained from asking.

Cid smiled, "I appreciate the update, and I'd love to meet your 'someone' I'm sure he's very special to you." Rosch gave him a deadpan look, "you look as though you are trying to imply something." Cid chuckled, "of course not! I am not implying a thing." Rosch looked at the grass intently, "I wonder if you know him, his name is Yuj and he's a member of team NORA, but before you get any obscene or strange ideas, he's dating a fellow team member."

Cid nodded in understanding, "ah I see, you were beaten out by a friend of his. Pity isn't it. As for who he is. . .I recall Rygdea mentioning a blue-haired boy named Yuj. I think he was a waiter at a restaurant that Rygdea enjoyed going to." "Yes, that is the same man. He is the reason why I am alive today and he has been an invaluable resource," Rosch replied slightly irritated by Cid implying that he liked someone that he had no interest in romantically.

Cid knew he struck a chord, "I apologize, Yaag. I suppose we are not close enough for me to joke with you. You have always been such a serious person, I thought that perhaps a joke here and there would help you relax, but it seems to have the opposite effect. I think meeting your friend would be wise, since gaining more information about what has been going on for the last few months will be vital if I try to take up a role in the military again. The situation with the Fal'cie had broken my dreams, but having a renewed life here on Gran Pulse, perhaps my dreams can still come true."

Rosch looked at Cid thoughtfully. He knew the man always had a dream to have a world free from the reign of the Sanctum. A world where men were free, and not held on a tight leash that proliferated fear and phobias. Cid continued, "I know you had a similar dream, Yaag. . ."

Rosch nodded slowly, "I thought that dream was impossible. . .but you never gave up on it. While I do not know what the future holds as the Pulse Fal'cie have not interacted with the people as of yet, I think it might be possible to dream again."

Cid smiled, "At least for now your dream of being free from the Fal'cie is true." Rosch chuckled, "wasn't that your dream as well?"

Cid's eyes grew wide and he looked at Rosch seriously, "are you sure you're Yaag Rosch? I don't think I have ever heard you laugh before."

Rosch shot him a glare, "of course I am myself. That was an absurd comment. All people laugh at some point, it's human nature."

Cid chuckled, "while that is true, you laughing is a rarity. I am truly honored to be the first to witness such an occasion."

Rosch glowered then softened his expression, "well I suppose the likewise would be true, I am not sure many have heard you laugh either, Raines."

Cid smiled, "one day I will get you to call me 'Cid' instead of my surname." Rosch looked at him intently, "I don't understand what your fixation is on me calling you by your first name." Cid closed his eyes, "perhaps because during my time as the Brigadier General and a Cocoon l'cie, people only called me 'Raines'. I suppose you could say that by being called 'Cid' I would be able to separate myself from the past." While all of it was true, and Cid wanted to have a new life as much as Rosch did, he also loved watching the shorter man squirm, as he found it rather endearing.

Rosch looked at him intently, "I will make a deal with you. I will call you 'Cid' if you will call me Rosch." Cid shook his head, "no that will not do. I suppose I will just have to suffer hearing my last name from you a while more."

Rosch quirked an eyebrow, "you are being a tad obstinate. . .Cid." He did not want to give in to the taller man, but he also could understand why Cid would not want to be referred to in the same manner as in the past. Rosch had viewed the changes in his life a good thing, a chance for change, and he wondered if Cid felt the same way.

Cid smiled at Rosch, "I appreciate the gesture, Yaag." Rosch couldn't help but glare at the black-haired man, he did not like his first name and Cid saying it repeatedly was not helping his ego. When he was in the academy, Jihl always made fun of his name. She often would call him "Gaay" instead, as that was his name backwards. While Rosch had grown and matured since those days, he still felt negativity towards his first name.

Rosch stood up from the comfortable spot in the shade and placed a hand on his wound to see if he needed to change the bandage. "I think we should head back to my camp since I haven't eaten since this morning and I want to record the data I have gathered on my expedition."

Cid stood up next to Rosch, "thank you for the invitation. I have not created a set camp, and have been behaving similarly to a nomad as of late. I appreciate your gesture and would love to join you for lunch." Rosch nodded in agreement, "you are more than welcome to stay at my camp as long as you like. I was hoping to return to the military within the next week or so, but I know that is highly unlikely." Rosch handed him an elixir and a potion from the stash that Yuj had given him earlier.

Cid smiled gratefully, "thank you for your hospitality and your provisions. It has been so cold as of late that I think having a nice warm place to return to will be good for lifting my spirits. I will try to earn my keep around here as well. I have become a decent fisherman as of late, so I can try to get us some fish for dinner."

Rosch looked at Cid intently and then turned towards the direction of the camp, "I have been making a map of the local area, with my camp as the base. I will make you a copy when I lay it out in a more organized fashion. That way you always know how to return to the camp without trouble."

Cid nodded and followed Rosch and the two men passed the monsters stealthily so they would not notice them. Rosch did not want to admit it to Cid, but he was grateful that the other man would be staying with him at his camp. He missed having others around him to talk to, and having another man from the military with him was something he truly appreciated. He knew Cid would understand his train of thought along with his terminology. He was good with his words when it came to the military, but he was often at a loss for his words in a typical social situation. Having Cid around, who was much more socially savvy when it came to the non-military population was comforting to him.

Cid similarly was very grateful to Rosch being the stoic, strong man he had always been. Rosch was a very consistent and stable man, and Cid was thankful that after he had been wandering, and in the process trying to free the Cie'th Stones, he finally had a place that he could call home.

* * *

Yuj and Maqui spent the morning exploring a set of ruins that were full of Cie'th stones and a variety of indigenous monsters. They also found several statues that depicted a battle between the slithering evil demon, Lindzei and the beautiful, divine goddess Etro. While Yuj and Maqui both knew the information from the analects that Snow showed them, they were surprised to find such a scene depicted in stone.

Maqui shivered, "this place is really kind of creepy. . .I don't see anything new in here either. . ." Yuj nodded, "well. . .we came here mainly to explore and we only found more of the same things we found in other ruins. . ." Yuj noticed Maqui shivering even though he was wearing his thick, warm, and snuggly jacket. He wrapped his arms around the shorter boy's body, "come on Maqui, how about we head to work and then we can focus on our date later."

Maqui shivered even more, but mainly because he could feel Yuj's warm, moist breath on the back of his neck. "Hahaah, yeah," was all Maqui could muster. Yuj felt the shiver, "are you still cold?" Maqui shook his head, he had never been warmer, his body temperature was rising and his entire body felt flushed.

Yuj chuckled and took him back outside onto the velocycle, "you are really cute Maqui. . .I'm really glad to have you." Maqui continued his awkward, embarrassed laughter. Yuj grinned and helped him onto the velocycle since Maqui was too busy laughing to get on it without help.

Maqui wrapped his arms around Yuj's waist, loving his rides on the velocycle a little too much. "I would have you drive, but you seem a little out of it," Yuj smirked. Maqui nodded, "yeah right now I think I would rather ride, I'll drive it later." He snuggled against him warmly and loved the way his cheek felt as it pressed into Yuj's soft, teal hair. He smelled so sweet and decadent and he relished in the sensation.

The two boys finally made it to work and were both excited and exhilarated looking forward to their first official date that evening.

* * *

TBC

A/N: As you probably have noticed, when in description, I write Yaag Rosch as "Rosch" and I write Cid Raines as "Cid." I did this because of what their own name preference is, not for inconsistency purposes (") =^..^=(")


	5. Chapter 5

Yuj parked and headed into the restaurant, ready to get his day started. "Hey! Hope, what are you doing here so early? Don't you have school?" Hope jumped when he heard Yuj's voice, "huh? Oh! No, today there are no classes today because Serah needed to help Snow with some things. So. . .how was your date? I mean I was there, but I didn't really get to hear how it went for you two." "Oooh? You are interested how the dating scene goes huh?," Yuj winked back.

"Huh!," Hope blushed furiously, "no no, of course not! I just wanted to know since you both are my friends. . .and I want it to really work out for you." Hope couldn't help but turn around, pretending to clean a table that was already spotless. He was curious about what dates were like, due to his lack of knowledge around the subject, but he also wanted to know since Yuj and Maqui had accepted him as a good friend even though they had not known each other for very long.

"You are so sweet," Yuj ruffled Hope's hair, "well, I think it went really well. At least for tonight's date he knows that it's a date, so I think it will go even better than the last one. I have to say, Maqui is an awesome kisser, so I hope to get more of those. Cross your fingers for me!" Hope chuckled, "well then I'll make sure to set up a really romantic table for you this time, maybe even on the deck, that way you guys can snuggle up with a big blanket and watch the stars!"

Yuj looked at Hope slightly wide-eyed, "you know. . .that's a really good idea. Plus the heaters on the deck will still keep us a little warm, and since it's been freezing lately, an extra blanket would be pretty handy. Geez, where do you get these awesome ideas?" Hope blushed, "well. . .I was just thinking if I were to ever date anybody, that would be something that would be really fun to do."

Yuj smiled, "in that case, I can't wait until I can give you dating tips, but for now I think you should finish school and just enjoy being a kid." Hope glared playfully at Yuj, "Hey! I'm not a kid, I'm already fifteen!" Yuj shrugged, "yeah but I wish I had more time to be a kid. . .and you already had to grow up pretty fast considering the circumstances. . .so just enjoy being fifteen, no use growing up too fast right?" Hope nodded, "that means I can play pranks on you and get away with it for another year then, huh." Yuj shot Hope a glare, "hey! Not on me, play them on Snow! He deserves it!" Hope chuckled and continued setting tables. Yuj noticed himself glaring and wondered if Rosch was rubbing off on him.

Yuj put on his apron and settled his backpack in the workroom. He started up the day's supply of curries and sauces that needed time to meld their flavors. He finished all of the day's prep work to make it easier for Lebreau to cook quickly and efficiently. A few customers trickled in and they all were ordering the day's special of juicy braised chicken legs with basil that were then fried to give them a crispy texture. Yuj happily put a huge portion aside to give to Rosch before he goes on his date.

Hope watched Yuj observantly, "so. . .are you going to eat all that? I mean you are always bringing so much food with you, but then you eat a ton when you get back. How do you do it? That's amazing! It means you can beat Snow and Gadot easily during one of their eating contests!" Yuj face turned white, "oh. . .uh. . .yeah, I tend to get hungry when I'm excited. . .and what can I say, Maqui excites me." Yuj laughed nervously and stared at the food he was putting in a container. "I see. . .," Hope figured Yuj was hiding something but decided not to press further.

Yuj cleaned up his station as Lebreau walked in, "hey Lebreau? I'm going to take my lunch break now, so I'll be back in a bit." Lebreau nodded figuring Yuj was going to visit Maqui and smirked, "alright but since you two are having a date tonight, don't do anything that would make him want to cancel." Yuj turned red, "uh, yeah. . .haha. . .I'll try not to. . ." Yuj quickly got his stuff ready to go, but he was not leaving to go visit his new boyfriend.

* * *

Cid and Rosch arrived at the camp and Rosch immediately started a warm fire. "You can wash up if you walk about 100 feet to the East; there is a hot spring there where you can bathe and clean up. It has a good mineral content. I also have some sundries that a friend gave me that I want you to feel free to use in the tent. Feel free to use anything as though they are your own," Rosch stated.

Cid looked at Rosch thoughtfully, "I appreciate it Yaag, I'll go wash up and then we can talk about what to do for lunch." Rosch's eyebrows furrowed slightly at being called by his first name again, but digressed and helped Cid find everything he would need for a relaxing, peaceful bath. Cid smiled and gave Rosch a huge pat on the back, "thank you again. I really needed some sense of stability in my life, and I think I found it."

Cid opened his satchel and pulled out a change of clothing and began to take off his shirt. Rosch watched out of the corner of his eye and noticed some small scars on the taller man's statuesque, muscular body. He even noticed the way he arched his torso as he pulled the shirt upwards, revealing a large scratch that marred his side.

Rosch's eyes widened and looked away; did he just find Cid's body somewhat attractive? He closed his eyes and cleared Cid from his mind as he thought about mapping and how he would organize his data. Cid shivered from the cool wind rushing over his naked torso. He folded his shirt and looked at Rosch, "do you mind helping me wrap this wound after my bath? I tried wrapping it myself, but it seems like the angle makes it difficult to do it accurately." Rosch felt a slight tightness in his throat and cleared it, "of course I will assist you on the matter. I have some medical supplies that should help it to heal quickly. Also the water seems to have a slight anti-bacterial attribute to it, so it should help to clean it. I also have some antiseptic and other goods that should accelerate its healing process." Cid nodded, "again I thank you Yaag."

Rosch questioned his own ongoing babbling when he talked with Cid, he could have talked in a much more efficient manner. He also wondered why Cid was thanking him so often. Was Cid's existence prior to meeting with him so harsh that he was truly that grateful? Rosch wanted to know what happened with Cid, but he hoped that Cid would tell him when he was ready.

Cid headed over to the warm, relaxing spring and finished undressing; he slowly entered the soothing water slightly wincing as he felt the water brush over his wound. After his body adjusted to the heat of the water, which contrasted heavily with the frosty air, he slid down, loving the way the water relaxed his aching shoulders. He looked up at the beautiful blue sky and for the first time since he could remember, he felt relaxed, at peace, and safe. Cid placed a hand on his side and wondered how much his life had changed. He was a prisoner of the Fal'cie and now that he was free, he took it upon himself to free the l'cie who couldn't complete their foci. He noticed that many Cie'th stones in the Archylte Steppe were already free, most likely due to Lightening and her fellow previous l'cie cohort. He wanted to free them from the curse that he, himself, had to bear, and he was going to continue to do so until every last Cie'th stone he could find was free.

Cid took a deep breath and relished in the rich scents of vanilla and lavender that permeated his bath. He loved the comforting fragrance and enjoyed the feeling of the grime and dirt being pulled out of his hair, leaving it feeling soft and shiny. He dipped his head back and closed his eyes again, completely immersing himself in the embrace of the water.

As Cid took his bath, Rosch was reorganizing the tent to prepare for a second person living in it. He moved all of the wood into a covered shed area to allow it to stay as dry as it could without taking up space in his living quarters. Rosch was about to pick up a can of food that Yuj had given him for emergencies when he heard the faint sound of a velocycle outside his abode. He headed out to see if it was indeed the teal-haired man who he considered his friend.

Yuj hopped off the velocycle with a huge grin, "hey Rosch! I brought you tons of a really tasty chicken dish along with some rice and tons of fresh greens. So I hope you are super hungry!" Rosch couldn't hide the faint smile that graced his features, "I truly am appreciative of your generosity." For a moment Rosch began to feel the way he imagined Cid felt when he was constantly thanking him earlier in the day.

Yuj chuckled, "aww come on, I've been bringing you supplies for long enough now that you don't have to thank me so formally each time. Just a simple, 'hey Yuj! Nice to see ya! I'm glad you dropped by!,' or something like that would be good. Anyway, I know I just saw you earlier today, but I actually have a question for you. Do you think it would be romantic if instead of eating at the restaurant, we eat on the deck and look at the stars with only one blanket?" Rosch had a deadpan look on his face, "what? You are asking me romance questions? Surely you are joking. I do not participate in romantic ventures and I would not know if a venue is romantic or not." Yuj shrugged, "yeah but it's asking you or asking people who will give me a hard time about it and make jokes about it," Yuj scratched his head and gave Rosch a vaguely bashful look.

Rosch shook his head, "well. . .since when you discussed your previous date, you mentioned looking at the stars while drinking hot chocolate, I would assume that since that is what lead up to your romantic kiss, it would mean that your idea has a high probability of being romantic."

Yuj smiled, "you know, I didn't think of it that way. I can't believe Hope was able to think of that. . .and he's only fifteen. . .geez he's good. He'll be able to find a significant other, no problem when he gets a little older!" Rosch quirked an eyebrow, "I suppose he would be about fifteen by now. . .but having a mentor like you could be a bad thing." Yuj pouted, "aww come on now! But um. . .you joking is so freaking funny that I'll just take it as a good thing."

Cid walked over, refreshed from his bath, donning sleek black pants, and a towel around his shoulders. "Well, isn't it funny seeing you joking, Yaag," Cid said playfully. Rosch turned around and sent Cid a glare, "I was merely making a statement." Cid handed Rosch the bandages and Rosch carefully and efficiently applied them to Cid's wounds. Cid was freezing, especially after leaving the nice, cozy hot spring, and he was grateful for the man's warm hands placing the bandages on his body. Cid quickly put on a shirt when Rosch was finished, followed by a jacket.

Yuj grinned seeing the two men helping each other out and being completely natural with each other. He had heard that it was likely that Cid survived as there was no body found when the military went looking for bodies and survivors in Eden's Hall. "No worries Cid. . .er. . .Raines, I brought enough food for both of you. As for you, Rosch, I thought you weren't feeling well enough to explore," Yuj stated calmly.

Rosch quirked an eyebrow, "how did you know that I went exploring this morning?" Yuj grinned, "I can tell because your hair is all fluffed up, meaning that the wind was really rustling through it. And the way your belt is shifted over suggests that you were crouching at points. Never ask a fashion guru how they can tell something as easy as disheveled clothing. Be happy the first thing I said wasn't 'gee you and Raines got it on didn't you!' since your outfit is disheveled and Raines is all wet.' Yuj couldn't help but smirk when he noticed Rosch turn a pale red.

Cid smiled, "your powers of observation are rather uncanny. I prefer that you call me 'Cid' by the way. I have heard about how much you have helped Rosch over the past few months and you have my gratitude as well." Yuj grinned, "hey, the more the merrier, I'm just glad to see that Rosch has such a fine, sexy friend to keep him company. He's probably gotten rather lonely being here by himself."

Cid nodded, "well I'm happy for the company as well, and thank you for calling me sexy, it makes me blush." Yuj smiled back, "that's because you are utterly sexy, but don't tell my boyfriend that I said it. Besides I don't wanna make poor sexy Rosch here jealous either." Yuj winked at Cid and Cid chuckled playfully. Rosch was glaring at both men since they were talking as though he was not standing with them, and involving him in a conversation that was taking a turn for the worse in his mind.

"When you two are done joking around, feel free to return to reality and I will serve the lunch that Yuj so graciously provided," Rosch stated with irritation in his voice. Yuj sighed, "geez you are just so cranky aren't you. Alrighty let's get some grub, and you can tell me how your expedition went. Sadly mine was a bust, although we did find some nice statues and a ton of Cie'th stones." Cid's ears perked up to this; he was glad to hear that Yuj had found a new area of Cie'th stones that he could possibly help, even if it cost him his life. "Perhaps you could show us this area later, it sounds fascinating," Cid said as he heated up water for tea.

Rosch nodded, "perhaps if we take it slowly, we could take a look around there as well. I'm sure that since you had a time constriction this morning that it made it difficult to really explore thoroughly." Yuj nodded back, "yeah, plus having Maqui with me was. . .rather distracting. Anyway, here is the map. I can ask Maqui to make you guys some kind of mode of transportation if you like. I am not sure how fast he could complete it, but it's his specialty." Rosch gave Yuj a slight smile, "I would be honored to drive one of his machines." Yuj grinned, knowing Maqui would love to make something for a good cause and served up the food while Cid made the tea.

"This food is divine. . .I thought I would never be able to appreciate flavors of food again, but this is far better than anything in Cocoon. . .," Cid stated while enjoying the rush of flavorful combinations and textures on his tongue. Rosch smiled, "you really outdid yourself with this one, Yuj. It's flavor is deliciously developed." Yuj blushed slightly, "aww thanks. Hey, if I can get a smile from Rosch, then it must be good!" Yuj chuckled as Rosch frowned at him just to make a point that he wasn't smiling.

Cid ate as though he had not eaten in weeks. He had some small rations he put together for himself, but mainly of indigenous fruits or vegetables that were deemed by him as not poisonous. He hadn't had a hot meal in as long as he could recall. He could see how being in a comfortable setting, with hope for the future, could be a new lease on life. He wondered if Rosch felt the same way, since he too was used by the Sanctum.

Yuj stretched, "alright I better head back since this was just a lunch break for me. Man, I love to cook, but I keep getting nervous that I'll spill stuff on my outfits." Yuj chuckled, "well anyway, maybe I'll go clothing shopping for you two, that way you have more selections since it's been freezing lately. I see Rosch in a fluffy jacket. . .yeah that sounds nice and warm." Rosch gave Yuj a blank look, "I am thankful for the thought, but I do not think fluffy things suit me." "Of course they do; your hair is fluffy on top after all. It will bring your whole look together. Anyway I better head off!" Yuj hopped on his velocycle and drove off before Rosch could get a word in.

"You know, you would look pretty good in a nice fluffy jacket," Cid mused. Rosch narrowed his eyes, "in that case you would look good in a chocobo suit." Rosch didn't realize what he said until after he said it. He was now completely sure he had been around Yuj far too long and now was picking up on his chocobo jokes. Cid's eyes widened, "you know. . .you look oddly serious when you make jokes, that it's hard to tell whether it is a joke or not."

Rosch smirked, "who said I was joking."

* * *

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Lebreau was in the process of marinating her famous Bodhum Island-style barbeque when she noticed Yuj coming in with a huge grin on his face. "I take it Maqui gave you another one of his patented kisses?," Lebreau asked with a smirk. Yuj blushed and looked at Lebreau, "of course not! He just gave me a sexy look, and you know, that totally does it for me." Lebreau giggled, rolled her eyes, and said sarcastically, "right, I'm sure you get plenty of satisfaction from just a look. I'm sure if I got only looks from Gadot, I'd be completely smitten with him."

Hope chuckled, but when he noticed eyes on him, he went back to setting tables. Yuj shrugged, "okay well maybe I'm just THAT excited about our date later that I can't help but hide my smile." Lebreau finished up creating her marinade and washed up, "well in that case, I'll let you off early. All you are going to do is think about your date anyway. Besides you completed tons of prep work, and I was thinking of teaching Hope here how to do some prep work too, since he'll probably be a better student than you. So why don't you go shopping and get a nice new outfit for the date. Believe it or not, I actually want you two to work out. You've been so close for as long as I can remember, and I like the idea of keeping our NORA family together."

Yuj blushed, slightly surprised by what Lebreau had to say. "Thanks Lebreau!," Yuj gave his sister-figure a huge hug and grinned playfully, "I completely agree, Hope will make a better student since he doesn't know any better than to pay attention to you!" Lebreau playfully threw a towel at him. Hope smiled at the two, secretly wondering what it would have been like to have siblings growing up.

"Let me guess, you want me to pick you up something sexy too?," Yuj asked with a twinkle in his eye. "You better! I have a date with Gadot tomorrow, so it better be hot!," Lebreau yelled from the kitchen as she pulled out the meat she already had marinating since the night before. Yuj nodded, "will do! Although, I don't think any outfit can possibly make you any sexier than you already are." Lebreau poked her head out of the kitchen, "damn right! Now get going!" Yuj grinned, waved at Hope and headed out of their café.

* * *

Maqui's head bobbed to the music on his headphones as he rummaged through the Eden Atelier store trying to find a nice gift for Yuj. The store was a popular chain in Eden as well as various cities on Cocoon. No one was surprised when they managed to open a new Gran Pulse edition of the store in the past week. The airships brought down many of their products and the designers were already using Pulsian dyes and materials to create new styles.

Maqui had no idea what Yuj would like, and knew he had no chance of finding something that would be his taste, but nonetheless he wanted to find something for him to show that he cared. At first Maqui thought about the usual cheesy things like fancy foods or flowers, but since it was Yuj he was shopping for, he knew the only way to go was fashion. He had given Yuj special gifts of machinery that took a lot of engineering skill in the past, but he wanted to do something completely unexpected of him.

Maqui continued going through various racks and shelves while dancing around in circles to the beat of his music, trying to contain all of the excitement and energy he was feeling. He had never been so elated before, and the euphoria he was feeling made it very hard for him to work. As he bopped around, he noticed the teal-haired object of his affection enter the shop. His eyes widened and he hid, crouching behind where the clothes were hanging.

Yuj had not yet been to the new Eden Atelier store and that was his first destination after he left the café. While he would have loved to shop for himself, he found this a good opportunity to get some clothes for Rosch and Cid, along with a cute outfit for Lebreau. He also planned to go to a new shop called the Metal Works Moogle Shop to get something special for Maqui. He knew Lebreau would think he was crazy for not getting something sexy for him to wear at his own date, but even he had priorities.

As he was going through the racks for winter-wear, Maqui tried his best to resist the urge to pounce on him from behind and give him the hug of his life. Even though Maqui typically was very hyper and rather impatient, his wish to surprise Yuj later with something nice outweighed his wish to have a preemptive strike from behind. Yuj purchased some warm jackets, gloves, scarves, boots, warm shirts and pants for the two men he was clandestinely seeing. He prided himself in the fact that he was 99.9% sure in their sizes just from a glance. Yuj knew he had a keen sense of sizing when it came to style and he was proud of it.

Maqui hid a chuckle when he saw Yuj picking up a sexy, tight looking dark maroon shirt with teal accents giving the shirt a look that could only mean he would have bought it if he had enough extra gil. Maqui knew the moment he saw the look in Yuj's eye, he would have to surprise Yuj with that sexy shirt. And Maqui knew in a strange way it was a present for himself too.

Yuj picked up a cute outfit set for Lebreau as a thank you for letting him off early, and headed to the checkout in record time. After he paid the cashier he ran out trying to get to the Metal Works Moogle Shop as fast as he could so he could take his time to get Maqui something special. Maqui had never seen Yuj leave a clothing store so quickly in his life and wondered where he was going in such a hurry. He shrugged and grabbed the shirt and was puzzled as to what size to get him. He turned off his music and scratched his head.

"Um. . .uh. . .," Maqui looked at the shirts with a pout then found a sales person, "you know that really cute teal-haired guy who was just here? Um. . .what size shirt should I get him?" The sales girl giggled, "oh that guy? Isn't he a cutie? I think I would get him a medium, that way it will hug him just right! Oooh do you know if he's single?" Maqui felt a slight twinge of jealousy, a new emotion for him, and looked at the lady with a slight furrowed brow, which only made him look less menacing, "yes, he's taken in a happily committed relationship." The girl pouted and left back to folding clothes. Maqui didn't care that Yuj and him had only had one date that wasn't even a 'real' date but as far as he was concerned, she didn't need to know that. Maqui picked up the shirt and decided to bring it back to his shop to wrap it up himself.

* * *

Yuj excitedly wandered around the Metal Works Moogle Shop and found many things that could engage Maqui's interest, but wasn't completely sure what he should get him that would be different from what Maqui could just make himself. Yuj muttered under his breath that he wished he tried to convince Rosch to come with him, but he knew all too well that he would rather be dealing with an adamantoise than a shopping trip. He decided instead of finding him something that was completed already, he would buy him various components that he could use to make something amazing. He purchased a wide array of components that are used for item and weapon upgrades and tried to find Maqui the best of the best.

While Yuj was shopping for Maqui, Rosch couldn't stifle a sneeze. He wondered where it came from and then went back to creating the map he was working on. Cid grinned, "someone must be thinking about you, Yaag." Rosch shot a glare at Cid and tossed him a small computer device, "start imputing all of the information you know about the area along with information regarding plants, wildlife, and environmental factors." Cid caught the device and looked at Rosch thoughtfully, "you are still not one for small-talk are you. Even after being around someone who can likely talk your ear off?" Rosch rubbed the temples of his head, "in those cases, he was the one who did all of the talking. If you feel the need for useless noise, feel free to talk to your heart's content."

Cid smiled, "in that case I will take you up on that, as useless noise helps the time go by more leisurely. Although if I ask you a question; you'd best answer." Rosch continued to glare at him not wanting to discuss anything until he was finished with his map. While he enjoyed the man's company, he did not want Cid to know that.

Cid entered the data into the device and shivered as the cold breeze blew against his face. Rosch took note of this and added more wood into the fire and went inside the tent to get some blankets. "Here, this should help you stay warm. They have very adequate insulation and are wind resistant. Your body heat will stay inside it and continue to bring your temperature to equilibrium," Rosch stated as he handed Cid a blanket and put his own around himself. "That was more than I needed to know, but I thank you for the gesture. It is really freezing. . .out of curiosity, how did you know I was cold?," Cid asked wondering if he had turned blue from the icy chill. Rosch looked away from Cid's gaze, "I saw you shivering." Cid smiled slightly and chuckled, "you are very observant, much like your fashion friend who would have been able to tell because my clothes probably wrinkled in a manner that implied that I was cold." Rosch grinned and chuckled with him then cleared his throat returning to work.

"Again, I was lucky to receive such a pleasurable sounding laugh. I hope to hear more of them in the future. As for your observation, I must say that I am rather impressed by your ability to pick up on subtle nuances of another, such as a simple shiver. A rather positive and useful trait," Cid stated as he looked at Rosch through the fire.

Rosch felt heat rise against his cheeks, but he reassured himself it was due to the fire's warmth. "It is something that is important in reconnaissance work. I'm sure your level of observation is on par with the best," Rosch stated feeling slightly uneasy but he wasn't sure why. "I see. Well it is sufficient when it comes to work, I suppose. But we aren't doing any reconnaissance work right now, so I'll just pretend that the real reason you noticed is because you want me to be comfortable and you are trying to be a good host," Cid mused.

Rosch sent a glare at Cid, "I am not being a good host because you are not a guest here. This is your new home for the time being. I believe I told you that." Cid grinned, "in that case Yaag, that means you noticed because you are attuned to how my well-being is. You do realize that means you like me, otherwise you would not care and let me fend for myself." Rosch's eyes widened and then they narrowed into a sharp glare—he did not know what to say back, "to be nice I simply gave you a blanket, you are reading into it far too much." Cid chuckled, "perhaps, but it is very fun ruffling your feathers." Rosch's mouth dropped open. He was baited, just like the fish that he knew Cid was planning to catch for dinner.

"Well I did have to get back at you for your chocobo suit joke," Cid said as-a-matter-of-factly. "I already told you, I wasn't joking. Now are you planning to catch fish at the lake or not?," Rosch asked again trying to change the subject. Cid grinned and wrapped the blanket around himself, "but of course, I'll be back shortly." With that Cid walked to the lake wrapped up comfortably and enjoying a moment of warmth.

After Cid left, Rosch rubbed his head for what felt like the billionth time that day. "Oh? Lover's quarrel already?," Yuj stated with a grin. "I'm about to head on my date and I know you must be sick of me already but I went shopping!," Yuj exclaimed happily. He handed Rosch several bags and grinned widely, "before you say anything you gotta see these!"

Rosch looked at Yuj with a slightly confused look, although it didn't show on his facial features and looked at the bag Yuj was carrying. "I got a couple chocobo feathers! Don't think I didn't hear that little wise-crack you made when I was leaving today about Cid in a chocobo suit. I figure you could attach some of these to one of the outfits I got him," Yuj stated with an evil grin. Rosch could not help but smirk, "that sounds like a great idea." Rosch had never participated in a practical joke in his life. But after being around Yuj so often, he figured one joke could give him some entertainment. Yuj grinned, "alright, you better take pictures for me! I'm gonna go over and pick up Maqui, so I'll see you later!" Yuj waved as he flew off on the cycle.

Cid returned after only thirty minutes with a large fish that could easily feed a family, let alone two people. "I already scaled it, so it's ready to go. I'll let you prepare it since you know what seasonings you have," Cid stated as he washed up from the fishing trip. "Yaag? I know this might be a little out of place in timing, but. . .if your injuries aren't too bad, I'd like you to join me in going to the ruins tomorrow. I'm very interested to see what else we can uncover in there," Cid stated still thinking about the Cie'th stones.

Rosch filleted the fish with ease thanks to his hunting knife, courtesy of Yuj. He gathered a variety of herbs, lemons, and some butter from the small refrigeration system that Yuj had Maqui make him when he first helped him put the camp together. Cid quirked an eyebrow, "if I didn't know better I'd say you were a chef in a previous life. . .or you've been around Yuj so much that soon you can become a chef and he can lead the military." Rosch glared at Cid playfully, "in that case if you spend time with me, you might become a decent man of the military." Cid feigned being offended and the two men shared a laugh. After Rosch skillfully prepared the fish and some vegetables, the two sat by the fire and ate as the stars came out in the night sky. When the two men pulled up the insulation blankets, Rosch vaguely remembered that Yuj had a similar plan for his date with Maqui. He wanted to sit under the stars on the deck, eating and watching them as they flickered in the sky.

Rosch looked down and noticed that here he and Cid were; under the stars and eating dinner together with blankets. In retrospect, Rosch realized that while he and Cid were in a similar situation, he could hardly call it romantic. He supposed that perhaps Hope did not have the best idea for romantic atmospheres at all, or that perhaps Rosch himself just did not notice a romantic situation even if he was hit on the head with it.

Cid glanced at Rosch who looked deep in thought, "Yaag?" He waved his hand slightly in front of Rosch's face which resulted in a glare back at him. "Good to know you're still with me. For a moment I thought you fell asleep with your eyes open," Cid chuckled. Rosch felt flustered inside, not understanding what he was thinking about. He could rationalize anything and he believed that what made Yuj and Maqui's situation completely different from his own was the fact that the two had plenty in common and they shared a passion and attraction for each other. Rosch did not like thinking about Yuj and Maqui's love life, he had no interest in that concept and he figured it must be the medications for his pain that were causing his delusional thinking.

Cid sighed, "you must be exhausted. It has been a long day and the pain medications we have both been taking along with the various salves can make the mind grow weary and tired faster than usual. Perhaps after we finish up here we should relax for the rest of the evening." Rosch nodded, "yes, you read my mind. While there is plenty to finish. . .I am not sure I am feeling well enough to continue at this point. My mind is rather. . .preoccupied."

Cid smiled softly, "I'm glad that you now have a sense of your own limits. I recall a time when you wouldn't stop working until you were unconscious. It's nice to see you are finally starting to see that your life is worth more than just your job." Rosch looked at Cid thoughtfully, "I appreciate your comment. I have been trying my best to re-evaluate my life and my circumstances. While Yuj can be rather crude at times, he has a zest for life that I find quite refreshing. He is the first person to ever tell me that I need to take this time to figure out what I want for myself." Cid nodded in sincerity, "I think that would be best for both of us, Yaag. We have both experienced many things that we have not had time to process or work through, let alone have the chance to put the circumstances behind us so we can move on."

Rosch looked at him with a smile and nodded while passing him a cup of deliciously sweet apple tea. Rosch decided to wait until the next day to let Yuj show Cid the outfits he bought. He figured if he is going to make a chocobo joke, he could at least do it first thing in the morning, so Cid could start his day with a laugh.

* * *

Maqui happily wrapped the cute shirt for Yuj and placed on top of it a small matching maroon mp3 player that he made to also play various radio stations and cooking broadcasts for him. He grinned and danced around with his headphones almost falling off his ears. When he heard the gentle hum of a velocycle outside he practically jumped and hid the gift in his huge backpack. He ran out happily with a huge grin on his face, "Hiya Yuj! I thought we were gonna meet at the restaurant, but hey, I love a free ride." Yuj loved his boyfriend's toothy grin that made him always look so happy and carefree. "Of course! What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't pick you up to take you there," Yuj replied with a huge grin back. Maqui blushed at Yuj calling him his boyfriend and smiled cheerfully, "Well in that case, I'll let you drive!" Yuj chuckled, "I'm starting to think you are stalling when it comes to driving this thing." "Well I have been known to crash them pretty good, but at least I can fix what I crash," Maqui said as he hopped onto the cycle cuddling Yuj from behind, which was quickly becoming one of his favorite habits. Yuj placed his hands over Maqui's and squeezed them gently, "okay, so I was thinking, we should eat outside tonight. . .just the two of us on the deck with the heaters blasting, a nice cozy blanket to keep us warm, some hot cocoa with Lebreau's homemade marshmallows, and a romantic evening under the stars. . .what do you think?" Maqui was feeling breathless. He normally could keep up with Yuj in the 'talking up a storm' department, but for the moment, all he could feel was his chest pounding and he squeezed Yuj tighter. "I'd love that," he squeaked. After they took off Maqui finally was able to catch his breath, "hey, how did you come up with such a nice idea? I thought I was your first date yesterday." "Well, maybe I had a little help," Yuj chuckled. Maqui grinned, "you mean someone gave you the idea and you totally feel in love with it." Yuj nervously laughed, "hahaha. . .uh. . .yeah. I'm not even gonna ask how you knew that already. Oh! By the way, I was wondering. . .since you met Rosch this morning, I was thinking that he could really use a mode of transportation. And since you are the transportation master engineer, I wanted to know if I could commission you to make him one of these." Yuj pat the velocycle as he drove and Maqui grinned. "Leave it to me! And don't worry, I'll do it for free. I think that guy has been through enough already," Maqui stated happily getting excited to show off his engineering skills.

Yuj smiled and parked the velocycle next to the café. He hopped off and before Maqui could even speak another word, Yuj planted a long, sweet kiss on his soft lips.

* * *

TBC. . .

A/N sorry for such a short chapter _ But I hope the next one can make up for it when I get it up!


	7. Chapter 7

Maqui's eyes closed as he felt Yuj's lips press softly against his own then sliding into his warm mouth. His heartbeat increased as Yuj's sweet tongue lightly traced against his and dominated his mouth passionately, exploring his mouth stifling a light whisper of a moan against his lips. Maqui blushed and panted slightly as he felt Yuj lightly brushing their tongues together; then pouted when he felt him pulling away slowly.

Yuj looked at Maqui through lidded eyes that seemed glazed over with something that Maqui couldn't quite get a handle on. He grinned up at the taller boy, "You sure are one hell of a kisser!" Yuj laughed and ruffled his hair playfully, "you always know the right thing to say, don't you. Anyway, I'm sure you must be hungry so, how about we get some grub already!" Maqui stuck his tongue out at his now-boyfriend and ran inside excitedly. Yuj scratched his head, "hey Maqui! I thought we were gonna eat on the deck!" Maqui ran back out laughing, "Oh yeah huh! I uh. . .your kiss made me forget what we were doing." Yuj grinned and shrugged, "well that's because I am 'one hell of a kisser' right? "

Yuj joined Maqui up the stairs in the café and handed Lebreau a bag with an outfit in it. Lebreau took it happily and hid it in the storage room but quirked an eyebrow at Yuj since he apparently did not get himself something new for his date. She smiled to herself knowing that if Maqui was more important to him than fashion, then they were headed into a very blissful relationship.

Hope smiled at the boys, "we have the deck area prepared for your very special date. Please follow me." Hope tried to act formally, but he knew that acting in such a way with his friends would not last long. He gave them menus and a big fluffy blanket, then served them large mugs of creamy, rich hot chocolate with whipped cream, Lebreau's famous marshmallows, and some chocolate shavings on top.

"Wow, this looks super tasty! Even fancier than the normal cup of hot chocolate," Maqui chuckled as he drank a huge gulp. He practically burned his tongue but the chocolate was too hard to resist in the cold weather. "I think I burned my tongue. . .maybe you can check Yuj," Maqui said blushing and thinking that he had just won the 'crappiest way to ask for a kiss' award. Yuj quirked an eyebrow and leaned in for a sweet, chocolaty kiss. "I think your tongue is still nice and healthy," Yuj said with a huge grin. Hope blushed seeing the two boys kiss and snuck off of the deck figuring he could come back after they were ready to order.

* * *

Gadot entered the kitchen and grinned widely at Lebreau, "So what are the two lovebirds doing on the deck?" Lebreau smiled, "they are doing what all civilized people who like each other do. It's called a date." Gadot shook his head and chuckled, "I guess you and I aren't that civilized then." Lebreau glared at her boyfriend, "it's pretty bad that even Snow is beating you in the romance department."

Gadot laughed and gave Lebreau a big hug, "that's because our relationship is much more than just a 'dating' kind of thing. Anyway, I just came in to say hi and that I wanted to eat some of your yummy food before heading out again. Apparently, Snow got the idea that killing some Long Gui would be a great way to get some Trapezohedrons for upgrading weapons. But as far as I'm concerned, now that he's not a l'cie I think that would be a very stupid idea. But you know how the hero gets when he wants to make a gift for Serah."

Lebreau quirked her eyebrow, "so wait a minute. Snow wants to make something for Serah, like a weapon for her to defend herself with some kind of item that he can get from one of the most difficult monsters on Gran Pulse." Gadot nodded sheepishly.

Lebreau sighed, "He is getting dumber by the minute. He might have a harder time with adamantoise or adamantortoise since they have a worse drop rate, but at least he has a chance of surviving them." Gadot shrugged, "I'll just try to convince him that Serah prefers him alive and that if he wants to show off, he should do something that will result in him surviving it." Lebreau furrowed her brow, "were you going to be stupid and go with him on this Long Gui hunt?" Gadot edged backwards towards the door, "of course not! Hahaha. . .yeah. . .um. . .I'm going to go now." With that Gadot ran out of the café as fast as he could.

"Geez, now we have two morons on Team NORA," Lebreau rubbed her head trying to alleviate the headache that was forming. Hope looked back at his boss, "well, Snow has helped to defeat Long Gui before, maybe he's trying to see how much power he has now that he's no longer a l'cie. It could be that he is viewing this as a way to test himself." Lebreau looked at Hope thoughtfully, "well. . .that's possible, but even so, it's foolish to go up against something like that. At least he can try to go up against a weaker version. If he has trouble with that, there is no way he can survive something as difficult as a Long Gui." Hope nodded, "yeah. . .I know it's thrilling in a way to be able to go up and win against something as strong as a Long Gui, but times have also changed. He now has a lot more responsibilities and if he wants to help create a new government, he will have a lot of trouble doing that if he's dead.

Lebreau sighed, "This is really pathetic. You are seriously more mature than Snow is and you are only fifteen now. If that 22-year old idiot wants to kill himself, then he really is stupid." Hope laughed, "I'm sure Light can stop him if she gets word about it." Lebreau smiled, "good point, I'm sure if Gadot can't knock sense into him then she can."

Yuj and Maqui noticed Gadot running out of the restaurant and they both wondered what was going on and couldn't help but head back inside to get some information. Hope looked at the two with a smile, "don't worry, he's just trying to stop Snow from doing something stupid." Yuj and Maqui looked at each other slightly confused but the boys headed back out and snuggled under a blanket. Hope followed and turned on the heaters, "how about you two just focus on your relationship for the evening. What would you like to order?" Lebreau couldn't help but smile; here was Hope, the youngest honorary member of Team NORA and the youngest of the group of l'cie that helped save their lives, being one of the most mature boys she had ever met. She always had to smack Maqui and Yuj around, along with Snow, but Hope seemed to be very willing to work hard and be an asset to both the group and the café.

Yuj and Maqui ordered some of her famous tikka masala curry and sipped on their cocoa as they waited for the delicious fragrant curry to arrive. "Um. . .I uh. . .I got you something," Maqui smiled and handed him the gift box with color coordinated wrapping and a shiny modified maroon mp3 player on top. Maqui was not a shy boy and often spoke what he was feeling without thought. However, even though he always had been able to confide in Yuj in every way possible, he was feeling very nervous and shy about his gift. Yuj's eyes widened as he received the beautifully wrapped package and looked at the maroon player.

"You totally hacked the crap out of this didn't you," Yuj said with a grin. "Yup! You can do tons of stuff on it and I can modify it some more for you! It even works like a cell phone too. Think of it more like a computer device than an MP3 player, okay?," Maqui said with his confidence returning. Yuj continued and opened the rest of the box and saw the shirt he was drooling over earlier that day.

"Wow. . .wow. . .Maqui! Did you know this is hands down the sexiest shirt ever? Geez I had no idea you had fashion taste too!," Yuj hugged Maqui and nuzzled against his soft, fluffy hair. "Well uh. . .I just went with what I thought would look really good on you," Maqui lied as he did not want to tell him he spied on him at the store. "I absolutely love it! It's the one shirt that I really wanted to buy but did have enough gil to! Thank you so much!," Yuj stated excitedly. Yuj wanted to smack himself on the head for acting like a giddy school-girl over a shirt, but he was too excited to hold it in. He knew if Gadot had seen him at that moment, he would have made fun of him for the rest of the evening. "Oh! I also got you a little something. . .okay well a big something," Yuj grinned and handed Maqui a large box that he somehow fit into his backpack.

"I'm not even going to ask how you fit this box into that backpack," Maqui quietly said in awe. He ripped opened the intricate wrapping job and pulled off the ribbons and tape in a flurry. He then opened the box and looked inside and saw a new version of an ultracompact reactor component, along with tons of other conductors and components that he had only dreamed about. "Um. . .uh. . .," Maqui lost his words for the umpteenth time that day. "Uh. . .er. . .uh. . .this must be where all your money went. How the heck did you afford this!," Maqui was finally regaining some composure but he knew he must have spent tons of money on these components.

Yuj grinned, "well. . .I actually had a platinum ingot. . .so I sold it and spent it on these components." Maqui's jaw dropped, "you. . .you did that for me?" Maqui carefully plopped the components on floor and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. He didn't need gifts to know that there was something about Yuj that made him special, but him doing something so sweet and special for him made him feel completely thrilled with the fact that he was his boyfriend. Yuj pulled him close as he felt his hands wrap around him and he kissed his hair, then slid his hands over his back rubbing it gently. "You are far too cute for your own good, Maqui," Yuj leaned in and kissed his cheek then leaned down a little further and kissed his neck softly. Maqui squeaked and made something akin to a cute mewling sound that only urged Yuj to continue kissing his neck as he rubbed his back and held him close.

Hope stood at the door with a tray of curry along with a variety of condiments, breads and rice, blushing and trying to wait for an opportunity to bring the food over. He gulped and brought the food over trying not to disturb the boys. Maqui moaned slightly as he felt Yuj's teeth lightly graze his neck, which made Hope want to run back inside feeling like he was interrupting something that was private and intimate. Yuj could smell the rich, decadent curry and slowly pulled away, lightly licking his neck a little before he did so, "the food is here."

Maqui stood dumbfounded as Yuj smiled at Hope then sat down serving up the family style portion of curry. Maqui could feel the cool breeze against his neck and he shivered. He traced his fingers over where Yuj's mouth had been and for a moment, relished in the feeling that was taking over him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts then hopped back under the blanket and snuggled against Yuj. Yuj grinned and handed him a bowl of the rich tikka masala, "you are utterly beautiful under the moonlight." Maqui wrinkled his nose a little, "me? Pretty? Nah! You have me mixed up with someone else!" He chuckled and cuddled and thought that if he were thinking of someone else, he would be very upset.

* * *

Rosch looked up at the night sky, feeling full and content. He enjoyed Cid's laughter and positive mood, which were both filled with sarcasm during the time he was controlled by the Fal'cie. Now that he was free from those shackles, he seemed to be at peace with himself and more laid back. He wondered if he had been the same way back then. He always took his work seriously, but that ambition and volition blinded him from the reality of the situation. His beliefs had been shaken, but his resolve to save the people of Cocoon never wavered. He knew Cid would likely feel the same way.

Cid looked at Rosch through the fire and noticed the serene look on his face. He smiled wondering how a man who was so hardened in battle and almost void of feeling on the battlefield could be so content away from it.

"I think it would be best if we went to sleep early since we are going to explore ruins tomorrow neither of us are feeling optimal or in our best conditions," Rosch said practically. "I couldn't agree more. I think I'm set for the evening, but perhaps you would like assistance? I can re-bandage you if you like," Cid said with a grin. Rosch glared at the taller man, "I do not require assistance." Cid grabbed the bandages from the first-aid kit, "while it is true that you can wrap the wound yourself, I can get a much better angle for cleaning it and helping you re-wrap it. Therefore I think it is still best if I assist you." Rosch opened his mouth to argue since he hated feeling like he was incapable, but he knew Cid had a point and acquiesced.

"Fine. Just be quick about it," Rosch grumbled as he lifted his shirt up, feeling a blast of chilly air against his torso. Cid placed disinfectant and ointment on the wound with his warm fingers and skillfully placed gauze pads and dressings over the area. He ran his hands down each side of the adhesive helping it stick against his body. Rosch did not want to admit it, but the feeling of Cid's warmth against the cold air felt relaxing and slightly erotic. Rosch glared in the opposite direction of Cid, not pleased with himself for thinking of a medical situation as erotic. He knew he had difficulty reading cues of romance and possibly eroticism too, but he also knew that he was completely misreading the situation.

Cid held in a chuckle as he noticed Rosch glare as he purposefully slid his fingers over the muscular side of Rosch's abdomen. He was not sure why he wanted to tease the scowling man beyond the fact that Rosch was so easy to provoke. He loved the way Rosch always looks angry just from a simple comment or in this case, a simple gesture. Cid hadn't felt the warm of another in so long that he figured it wouldn't hurt to get a few touches in, here and there.

As Cid finished his thorough and fastidious bandage-job on Rosch, he slid his hand against his skin as he pulled his shirt down. Rosch shivered from the gesture slightly and pulled away in a snapping motion. Rosch glared at Cid, "I can pull down my shirt myself; I'm not an invalid." Cid nodded, "of course not, Yaag. I was just trying to help." Rosch's eyes narrowed, then nodded and started making the beds in a rather flustered manner. Cid placed his hand under his chin as he watched Rosch behave in a frantic manner, which only made Cid want to provoke him more in the future.

Rosch felt his heart-beat increase as he could still feel the light traces of where Cid's fingers had grazed his body. This angered him greatly, but he knew that Cid was only trying to help him by bandaging him up. Rosch felt angry at himself for becoming so flustered over someone helping him. He couldn't decipher if it was embarrassment over being helped, or the fact that he enjoyed the warm touch that made him feel so light-headed and stupefied. Rosch finally managed to get the beds ready for them to sleep in and quickly changed into soft, warm fleece nightwear while in the tent before heading out to see Cid again. He felt oddly vulnerable around Cid, and while he never cared about changing in front of others before, he felt as though changing in front of Cid would be similar to changing in front of an audience.

Cid headed into the tent as Rosch waved for him to enter after putting out the fire. "Here, take this warm fleece-wear. It's comfortable, light-weight, and warm. A good combination for sleeping under these conditions," Rosch stated. Cid took the warm garments, "practical as always, Yaag. Thank you very much for them." Cid began to take off his shirt, painfully slowly in Rosch's mind. He shifted his mind to his pillow to avoid watching Cid change. Rosch wondered to himself why he cared about the fact that Cid was removing clothing in his presence and felt the flustered feeling return. "Well when you are done, please turn off the light," Rosch stated as he got into his bed and pulled a blanket up, blocking his vision of the half-naked man in his room.

Cid wanted to tease the man more, but he was getting cold and now Rosch was acting very cutely in his mind, by hiding under the blankets. He quickly finished changing and got into his own bed and turned off the lights. While he was very interested in the ruins and the Cie'th stones he would find, he also felt a twinge of excitement about his new roommate.

* * *

TBC-

A/N: Sorry for the delay x_x I know this story is moving slowly, but I really like stories and pairings that take a while to warm up and develop rather that ones that hastily get together for no apparent reason ^^;

Thank you very much for reviews!

*** G-AnakinRPG :** I hope you have a chance to read it! Thank you so much!

*** YourTaintedSacrifice:** I am really glad that you are reading this and hopefully enjoying it ^^

*** UlquiorraRoxx:** Thank you very much! I think that your stories are amazing so it's an honor to have you reading this one 8D I am so glad to have another Yaag x Cid fan ^_^ They are an amazing pairing, and I hope to do them at least a little justice. (I also hope that more people write them up because I'd love to read some fics with these two also!) And Yuj x Maqui are just too cute to not have in an FFXIII story lol!


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